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Battle of Mokuohai
ōhai |partof=Unification of Hawaii |image= |caption=''King Kamehameha I'' |date=July, 1782 |place=Kona, Hawai i Island |result=Kamehameha I victory |combatant1=Kamehameha I's army |combatant2=Kiwala o |commander1=Kamehameha I Ke eaumoku Kame eiamoku Kamanawa |commander2=Kiwala o Keōua Kuahu ula Keawemauhili }} The Battle of Moku ōhai, fought in 1782 on the island of Hawaii, was a key battle in the early days of Kamehameha I's wars to conquer the Hawaiian Islands. It was his first major victory, solidifying his leadership over much of the island. Background Information After King Kalani opu u died in the summer of 1781, his family took his remains to the royal mausoleum known as Hale o Keawe at the important religious temple Pu uhonua o Hōnaunau. While Kalani opu u's son Kiwala o had inherited the kingdom, his nephew Kamehameha was given a prominent religious position, as well as the district of Waipi o valley. When a group of chiefs from the Kona district, including his brothers and uncles, Keawe-a-Heulu, twins Kamanawa and Kame eiamoku, and Ke eaumoku Pāpa iaheahe, offered to back Kamehameha instead of Kiwala o, he accepted eagerly, traveling back from his residence in Kohala. Kiwala o's half-brother Keōua Kuahu ula had been left with no territory from his late father. He went into a rage, cutting down sacred coconut trees (considered a great insult) and killing some of Kamehameha's men. Their bodies were offered as a sacrifice to Kiwala o, who accepted them, and Kamehameha felt he had to respond to the challenge to his honor.William De Witt Alexander (1891) A brief history of the Hawaiian people The Battle The battleground was just to the south of Kealakekua Bay, near the present-day community called Ke ei.Thomas S.Dye (2003) Archaeological Survey of a Portion of Ke ei Makai Coordinates are , on the bay now called Moku akae (which could be a misspelling of Moku ōhai), South of Palemano point. The name means "grove of ōhai trees".lookup of Mokuohai on Hawaiian Place Names web site The tree, Sesbania tomentosa, is now endangered, and no longer grows in the area, so the site is only known from oral history. As tensions were building, women and children from both sides flooded into the "place of refuge", Pu uhonua o Hōnaunau. Kame eiamoku was the first leader injured, but when Kiwala o approached, Kamanawa came to his aid. Then Kiwala o was knocked down by a sling stone, and the injured Kame eiamoku was able to slit his throat with a shark-tooth dagger. It was during this battle that the renowned red feather cloak of Kiwala o (now in the Bishop Museum) was captured by Kamehameha the Great. Aftermath Keawemauhili (uncle of Kiwala o) was captured but escaped to Hilo, and Keōua Kuahu ula fled to Ka ū where he had relatives. After the battle, Kamehameha controlled the Northern and Western parts of the Big Island, including Kona, Kohala, and Hamakua while Keawemauhili controlled Hilo and Kiwala o's half-brother Keōua Kuahu ula controlled Ka ū. i | publisher = Mutual Publishing | year = 2004 | location = Honolulu | pages = 66–74 | url = http://dukas.org/books/koa/MilHist3.html | isbn = 1-56647-636-4}} Kamehameha fought several more battles over many years to consolidate his control. In 1790, Keōua's party was to have their footprints frozen into volcanic ash, and in 1791 Kamehameha's forces finally killed Keōua at Pu ukoholā Heiau. References/Bibliography Category:Battles involving Hawaii Category:History of Hawaii (island) Category:Ancient Hawaii